1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inflatable aquatic device comprising a pair of pontoon-like elements each configured to accommodate and receive the operator's feet and a pair of paddles specifically configured for use in propelling the operator over a liquid such as water, while the operator is in either the standing or sitting position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of prior art devices are presently known which are primarily designed to support the human body in water. Generally, these devices can be classified into categories which include swimming aids, recreational devices such as rafts or small single occupant propulsion devices such as floats.
The swimming aid and recreational type float devices are usually inflatable or alternately made of buoyant, lightweight material. Both of these types of devices, however, suffer from the problem of being relatively flimsy and generally inefficient in operation. In addition, these conventional devices are generally intended for limited use and are more often particularly designed to maintain the body afloat rather than increase the efficiency in traveling through water.
Since modern day society has provided more free, recreational time to the average individual, various apparatus have been designed and made commercially available to aid in one's pleasure of this increased recreational activity. This is particularly true in the area of water sports. A primary concern, however, is providing these various apparati on a low cost basis while making available to the public, devices which are simple and efficient to operate and maintain at a reasonable cost. While all of these factors have generally been kept in mind, conventional recreational devices are still either generally inefficient due to the fact that they are being designed generally similar to prior art swimming aids and like floats or because they are overly complex. In the latter category a number of said floats are available which generally resemble a single occupant type sailing boat. Because of the complexity in structure which is somewhat common to the vast majority of these prior art devices, their initial expense, trouble and cost of operation and maintenance and inefficiency of performance have rendered a large portion of these devices unattractive to the public at large.
Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need for a recreational and commercial device readily adaptable for rescue efforts, recreational or other activies on a liquid such as water. Such a device should be initially inexpensive to obtain and manufacture and simple to operate and maintain by the user of such a device.
It is also desirable to provide an inflatable or pneumatic aquatic device including telescopic rigid members for collapsing the unit for efficient transportation of the aquatic device. A small size of transfer is important not only from military considerations of the inflatable aquatic device but also in view of the reduction in size of present day automobiles.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an inflatable aquatic device having plural aquatic members each having gas chamber means therein for containing a gas and providing buoyancy.
Another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable aquatic device wherein each of the plural aquatic members includes a substantially rigid frame having a plate region and a plurality of support means extending relative to the, plate region wherein the plurality of support means may be varied in length to facilitate transporting the inflatable aquatic device.
Another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable aquatic device having a plurality of flexible gas chamber means and a substantially rigid frame structure with fabric means adapted to encompass the flexible gas chamber means for securing the substantially rigid frame to the flexible gas chamber means.
Another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable aquatic device comprising plural aquatic members each having a plurality of flexible gas chamber means secured to rigid frame members attachable to an operator's feet for providing a substantially rigid support of the operator through the buoyancy of the flexible gas chamber means.
Other objects will become apparent from the summary of the invention, the description of the preferred embodiment and the appended drawings.